Argentina Has A Drug Problem, And Many Blame Musician El Pity

More and more of Argentina's young people are becoming addicted to drugs, and many feel that musician Cristian "el Pity" lvarez, leader of Argentine rock band Intoxicados, is the source of the problem. His lifestyle, his music, his well-publicized drug use, and his iconic influence have placed El Pity at the forefront of drug culture. El Pity has been personally struggling with drug abuse for a long time, and he always tells his fans not to make the same mistakes. El Pity has always said that he does not think it is ok for anyone to do drugs. But to many people El Pity's warnings against drug use don't match his actions.

Over the last decade, the number of teens and adolescents taking drugs in Argentina, drugs like marijuana and "paco" (Argentine slang for freebase cocaine), have greatly increased. Many people blame this dramatic rise in drug abuse on popular culture. They argue that the rise in drug use is related to popular music that glorifies substance abuse. Musicians like El Pity are idolized for their transgressions, and their drug use is emulated. In many ways, El Pity and his band Intoxicado seem to glorify drug use - in fact, the band's name is slang for getting high.

El Pity is an influential figure in Argentine youth culture. When you travel in Argentina, you'll hear his popular songs being played as cell phone ringtones. El Pity's been popular for many years -- you'll find the logo of El Pity's old band, Viejas Locas, spray-painted all over Argentina. His music is played in popular bars and dance clubs. Walking the streets of Buenos Aires you'll see people wearing Intoxicados or Viejas Locas t-shirts. Stories about El Pity are also commonly seen in popular newspapers and TV shows. With El Pity's popularity and high profile, it's easy to believe he's a major influence on young people.

Unfortunately, drug abuse is a part El Pity's life and image. El Pity had a well-publicized arrest for possession of marijuana recently. The television coverage of the arrest featured footage of a obviously high El Pity. He was shown bragging about the amount of drugs in his pocket at that time. This was in contrast to footage of El Pity quoted at a concert as saying "lets hope none of you will ever be addicted to something." El Pity works to speak out against drugs, recording anti-drug messages and public health announcements. El Pity has a drug problem, but his body of work seems to be conflicted. Does he glorify drug use, or does he serve as a role model against it?

In an internet interview, Pity said he did not encourage, and that he did not want, young people to emulate him. But can his message really be that clear? Teens seem to ignore his messages discouraging drug use -- they consume more and more drugs every year. Unfortunately, it seems that many young people don't understand the seriousness of drug addiction. While El Pity achieves international fame and success as a drug abusing music star, teens all over Argentina become addicted to all manner of drugs. Schools don't teach about drugs and drug addiction, and it seems that parents and other family members are ignorant of the drug problem, or they tend to avoid the topic. When teens do find out about drug addiction, it is usually too late.

Drug abuse should never be popular or glorious, but it seems that many young Argentines see drugs as just that. Songs that glorify drug use are popular with these youngsters, and most of the songs they like are by El Pity and Intoxicados. El Pity's never personally encouraged drug abuse, but his songs are definitely viewed as drug anthems. While it's less than clear that El Pity's music has helped to cause Argentina's drug use problem, it is clear his music is popular with drug abusers. When you combine many parent's lack of awareness, poor anti-drug educational efforts, and the power of a major music star's drug use, it's easy to see how young people can fall under the spell of drugs.

El Pity was quoted once as saying that he wished to be the last person to be high on drugs -- the "last intoxicado." Unfortunately, El Pity's drug abuse has been glorified. His influence may result in an entire generation becoming "intoxicado".

By: Jason Lancaster.

Author: Jason Lancaster is a student of Argentine affairs and has a tonos site featuring tonos para movil. Learn more about Argentina by visiting Wikipedia.

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